Among the different types of work environments, construction sites are one of the most dangerous, like power plants, factories, mines, railroads and other industrial sites. In 2012 alone, job-related accidents claimed the lives 806 construction workers; this is about 20% of the 4,175 employee deaths reported in the private sector. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, about 150,000 construction workers are also injured on the job every year.

Based on records from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the top four causes of construction accident injuries and untimely death at construction sites are getting struck by construction vehicles or equipment, getting caught-in-between or pinned between equipment and a solid object, electrocution, which can cause burns, explosions and fire, and slip and fall, which is the most common cause of injury in the workplace that results to hip, spinal cord injury or head injury.

Due to their physically-tasking job which also involves daily exposure to danger, construction injury attorneys from the Hankey Law Office strongly emphasizes the need to ensure the safety of construction workers, as well as the importance of making sure that injured workers are able to claim the compensation they deserve.

Physical injuries are not the only daunting consequences of construction site accidents, though. So many injured workers also become vulnerable to financial problems because injuries render them unable to report back to work. This means lost wages on top of the costly bills they will need to pay for medical treatment.

Injury claim can be filed by workers with the Workers’ Compensation insurance program. This state-enforced and controlled program, also known as Workman’s Compensation Insurance or Employers’ Liability Insurance, is an insurance program that is designed to provide financial benefits to employees who sustain job-related illnesses or injuries. It offers tax free wage replacement (usually one-half to two-thirds of an injured employee’s regular wage) medical, disability, rehabilitation and death benefits regardless of the cause of the injury or who was at fault for the injury. Employees who avail of this benefit, however, should waive their right to sue their employer for further claims (injured employees may, instead, not file a claim for the right to file a civil suit against their employer – this is usually the case if the injury or illness is so severe so that amount of damages is much higher than the financial benefits offered by the insurance program).

For the injured or for those who develop a serious illness, the LaMarca Law Group, P.C. says that Workers’ Compensation benefits extend even to people who suffer temporary or permanent disability.

Whether an employee intends to file a claim with the Workers’ Comp or file a lawsuit against his or her employer, it would be more advantageous if he or she were to seek assistance from a disability benefit lawyer, who will be able to help determine which specific disability benefit he or she should apply for, or from a personal injury/construction accident lawyer, who will be able to help him or her pursue the legal action that will best help him or her seek the compensation the he or she legally deserves.